1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photographing apparatus requiring a short initialization time, and a method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a photographing apparatus requiring a short initialization time between power supply to the photographing apparatus and a starting of photographing, and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a photographing apparatus such as a camcorder or a still camera operates to convert an optical signal received through a lens into an electric signal, and process the converted image signal. The photographing apparatus requires a series of stages from when power is input to the apparatus until the apparatus is ready for photographing. This will be explained briefly, with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an initialization method of a conventional photographing apparatus.
When the photographing apparatus is turned on (S10), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) receives the power supply, and a Random Access Memory (RAM) is initialized (S11). That is, the RAM is initialized as the DSP reads out addresses of the entire regions of the RAM one by one, and records the addresses as ‘0’.
As the DSP determines whether or not there is an interrupt, and sets roles of all the connected ports, the DSP is initialized (S12). The DSP then supplies power to the other components of the photographing apparatus. Accordingly, the components are initialized (S13). The DSP then adjusts the camera part, using the adjustment data stored in an Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM) (S14).
The camera part operates to convert the optical image converged through the lens into an electric signal at a Charge Coupled Device (CCD), and process the converted signal using Auto Exposure (AE), Auto Focus (AF) and Auto White Balance (AWB). All the photographing apparatuses cannot be made perfect and identical to each other, during manufacture. That is, the photographing apparatuses generally have slight variations and these variations usually occur in the camera part. The adjustment data are thus provided to reduce such variations.
When the camera part is adjusted based on the adjustment data, the DSP re-adjusts the camera part to suit for the current photographing environment (S15). The DSP then initializes the card part, to which memory card or compact flash card is mounted (S16). In other words, the DSP reads out information from the card mounted to the card part.
Accordingly, the photographing apparatus stands by for the photographing (S17). If a user starts photographing (S18), the DSP stores the captured image signal to the card part (S19).
As explained above, it usually takes several seconds from the time that the power is supplied to the photographing apparatus until the time that the apparatus is available for photographing. Accordingly, the user is unable to take photographs instantly, but has to wait for a predetermined time period, which is quite inconvenient.
Accordingly, there is a need for a photographing apparatus and a method thereof, which requires a short initialization time between a power input to the apparatus until the apparatus is ready for photographing, such that a user can take photographs quickly.